Leaders Sorrento FC seized the initiative in the State League Division One title race with a 3-1 win over Dianella White Eagles in Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash.
Steve McGarry’s undefeated side are now six points and significant goal difference clear at the summit after 13 rounds, while Dianella stay second.
An own goal set the Gulls on their way with Ryan Hogan turning into his own net from Hamza Hina’s cross. And the visitors’ lead was doubled when Eagles keeper Peter Pilkadaris parried Connor Simpson’s header and Dean Cummings stabbed the ball home.
Dianella had a route back into the game 13 minutes from the end when Joe Heath’s free-kick came back off the post and hit the unfortunate Scott Robertson for the evening’s second own goal.
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The victory was sealed deep in second-half stoppage when Hina helped for Clay Gibbs to run in and finish in accomplished fashion to give Sorrento win number 11 this term.
Murdoch University Melville remain third and moved to within three points of Dianella thanks to a 2-1 win over bottom side Rockingham where they ended the game with eight men.
The visitors opened the scoring on 24 minutes at the Besteam Stadium when Max Worswick stepped inside his defender and curled into the far corner following some nice build-up play.
Murdoch’s leading scorer Iljas Ahmedov was given a straight red card just before the break, but his side levelled three minutes after the restart thanks to Ed Wynne-Willson’s free-kick from 20 yards.
The hosts went down to nine men with 18 minutes left when Harry Clisby collected two yellow cards in seven minutes, but remarkably they were able to get a winner when Likhwa Tshabangu ran untracked into the area and bent into the far corner.
There was still time for Wynne-Willson to pick up his second booking and become the third player to miss next week’s home clash with Mandurah. But the eight men held firm to hold a six-point gap back to fifth, while Rockingham are five points adrift at the bottom.
Elsewhere, the race for the final inter-divisional play-off place tightened up after UWA Nedlands fell to a 2-0 defeat to Joondalup United.
A goal in each half did the job for Nick Jennings’ side who led when Danny O’Shea escaped his marker to head home a corner. Jay Lang’s penalty four minutes from time as Joondalup snapped a three-game losing streak, while UWA are only one point above fifth.
That spot is occupied by Mandurah City, who twice trailed before beating Cockburn City 3-2.
The Cockerels led on eight minutes when Anthony Skorich set Harry O’Brien down the right. The forward’s cross came back into Skorich’s path and he crashed the ball home.
But their advantage was quickly wiped out as John Baird stood up a cross for Leigh Griffiths to firmly head in for 1-1.
Cockburn restored by the 15-minute mark thanks to O’Brien’s spot- kick which capped a fast and furious opening to the game, before both sides were reduced to 10 men when Ben Gallagher and Ryan Cox were shown red cards.
Craig Barker made it 2-2 when he rose highest to head home from a corner, and it was a rine-and-repeat as Harry Collins flew in at the back post to head home Baird’s 87th-minute corner which won the game and put Mandurah on the cusp of the play-offs.
Kingsley Westside are also in the mix and sit two points behind UWA following a 3-1 win at Subiaco.
All the goals were scored in the second half at Rosalie Park with Kingsley breaking through seven minutes after the restart when Daniel Harrison fed Chad Samuels, who stepped around a defender and fired home.
Jon Hulme then drove down the left and pulled back for Noah Leasor to side-foot home from just inside the area. And a third goal in nine minutes came when Harrison’s corner was headed in by Callum Trayner as Kingsley’s second-half blitz put them on course for a first win in three.
Subiaco scored a consolation from a corner which was credited to Zac Benabid, but they are now five without a win and drop to seventh, although still only three points off fourth.
Finally, Gosnells City gave themselves a massive boost in the fight to avoid relegation with a 4-0 win over Gwelup Croatia.
The hosts made the perfect start at Walter Padbury Reserve as Tony Chandler headed in Wade Farmer’s fourth-minute corner.
The hosts were given a further boost on 21 minutes when they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Aaron Coslani. A third would follow before half-time when Chandler went on a slaloming run past several challenges before squaring for Tom Kennedy to strike another blow.
A great Gosnells day was capped late on when Kennedy’s free-kick was parried into the path of Jason Peppin who followed in to score, as Peter Allen’s side moved out of the drop zone on goal difference.
In Division Two, the top three sides all won to leave things as-you-were with Kalamunda City still five points clear after their 4-2 win over Forrestfield United.
Austin Reynolds cancelled out Lal Cung’s opener, but the leaders took control thanks to goals from Samir Ramos and Javier Pineres Mestre before the break. Scott Witschge gave Forrestfield hope of comeback, but Cung’s late sealer completed the scoring and left the visitors in fourth.
Joondalup City won 2-0 over Curtin University thanks to first-half goals from Mason Gallagher and Brad McDonald. They are now five points clear of their opponents who remain in fifth as they missed an opportunity to move into the promotion play-off spots.
East Perth stay third after a thrilling 4-3 win over mid-table Ashfield which extended their unbeaten run to three games.
Ryan McCready and Liam Moore had the home side on course at half-time, before Dean Kezurer gave the visitors a lifeline just past the hour mark.
McCready restored East Perth’s two-goal cushion but Ashfield would not lie down and Anthony Orobio gave his side renewed hope of a comeback.
McCready’s hat-trick goal on 87 minutes took his tally to 16 goals in 12 games this season and that was enough to see East Perth win despite Hanani Ndebele’s late penalty.
Elsewhere, Quinns were the big movers of the day as a 4-1 win over Swan United saw them jump three places and into the top six.
Quinns’ Evan Gurney scored at each end inside the first eight minutes at Gumblossom Reserve but Mou Marial’s goal on half-time had the hosts on top.
Marial and Dylan Morrison would then score in the final eight minutes to give Ian Ferguson a first victory since returning to Quinns, while Swan’s loss sees them just above the relegation play-off spot.
Wanneroo City are now undefeated in three matches following a 1-0 win over Balga which tightened up the picture at the bottom of the league.
Darragh Kavangh’s early goal was the difference as Roos are now within striking distance of second-bottom Carramar Shamrock Rovers, who drew 2-2 at Canning City.
Rovers led 2-0 through goals from Nathan Diaz and Harry Bissett, but they were pegged back by Tom Kinnane’s penalty and Anthony Taranto’s goal. Rovers are without a win in four and remain in danger, while Canning’s point sees them edge clear of trouble with the bottom five sides separated by six points.